John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and Albert Gallatin, citizens of the United States; and His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, has named for his plenipotentiaries the Right Honourable Frederick John Robinson, vicepresident of the committee of Privy Council for trade and plantations, joint paymaster of His Majesty's forces, and a member of the Imperial Parliament; Henry Goulburn, Esq., a member of the Imperial Parliament, and Under Secretary of State; and William Adams, Esq., doctor of civil laws: and the said plenipotentiaries, having mutually produced and shown their said full powers, and exchanged copies of the same, have agreed on and concluded the following articles, viz:

Art. 1. There shall be, between the territories of the United States of America and all the territories of His Britannic Majesty in Europe, a reciprocal liberty of commerce. The inhabitants of the two countries, respectively, shall have liberty freely and securely to come with their ships and cargoes to all such places, ports, and rivers in the territories aforesaid, to which other foreigners are permitted to come, to enter into the same, and to remain and reside in any parts of the said territories, respectively; also to hire and occupy houses and warehouses for the purposes of their commerce; and, generally, the merchants and traders of each nation, respectively, shall enjoy the most complete protection and security for their commerce, but subject always to the laws and statutes of the two countries, respectively.

Art. 2. No higher or other duties shall be imposed on the importation into the United States of any articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of His Britannic Majesty's territories in Europe, and no higher or other duties shall be imposed on the importation into the territories of His Britannic Majesty in Europe of any articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of the United States, than are, or shall be, payable on the like articles being the growth, produce, or manufacture of any other foreign country; nor shall any higher or other duties or charges be imposed in either of the two countries, on the exportation of any articles to the United States, or to His Britannic Majesty's territories in Europe, respectively, than such as are payable on the exportation of the like articles to any other foreign country; nor shall any prohibition be imposed on the exportation or importation of any articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of the United States, or of His Britannic Majesty's territories in Europe, to or from the said territories of His Britannic Majesty in Europe, or to or from the said United States, which shall not equally extend to all other nations.

No higher or other duties or charges shall be imposed, in any of the ports of the United States, on British vessels, than those payable in the same ports by vessels of the United States; nor in the ports of any of His Britannic Majesty's territories in Europe on the vessels of the United States, than shall be payable in the same ports on British vessels.

The same duties shall be paid on the importation into the United States of any articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of His Britannic Majesty's territories in Europe, whether such importation shall be in vessels of the United States or in British vessels; and the same duties shall be paid on the importation into the ports of any of His Britannic Majesty's territories in Europe, of any article the

growth, produce, or manufacture of the United States, whether such importation shall be in British vessels or in vessels of the United States.

The same duties shall be paid, and the same bounties allowed, on the exportation of any articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of His Britannic Majesty's territories in Europe, to the United States, whether such exportation shall be in vessels of the United States or in British vessels; and the same duties shall be paid, and the same bounties allowed, on the exportation of any articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of the United States, to His Britannic Majesty's territories in Europe, whether such exportation shall be in British vessels or in vessels of the United States.

It is further agreed, that, in all cases where drawbacks are, or may me, allowed upon the re-exportation of any goods the growth, produce, or manufacture of either country, respectively, the amount of the said drawbacks shall be the same, whether the said goods shall have been originally imported in a British or an American vessel. But when such re-exportation shall take place from the United States in a British vessel, or from the territories of His Britannic Majesty in Europe in an American vessel, to any other foreign nation, the two contracting parties reserve to themselves, respectively, the right of regulating or diminishing, in such case, the amount of the said drawbacks.

The intercourse between the United States and His Britannic Majesty's possessions in the West Indies and on the continent of North America shall not be affected by any of the provisions of this article, but each party shall remain in the complete possession of its rights with respect to such an intercourse.

Art. 3. His Britannic Majesty agrees that the vessels of the United States of America shall be admitted, and hospitably received, at the principal settlements of the British dominions in the East Indies, viz: Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, and Prince of Wales's Island, and

that the citizens of the said United States may freely carry on 30 trade between the said principal settlements and the said

United States, in all articles of which the importation and exportation, respectively, to and from the said territories, shall not be entirely prohibited: Provided, only, that it shall not be lawful for them, in any time of war between the British Government and any State or Power whatever, to export from the said territories, without the special permission of the British Government, any military stores, or naval stores, or rice. The citizens of the United States shall pay for their vessels, when admitted, no higher or other duty or charge than shall be payable on the vessels of the most favoured European nations; and they shall pay no higher or other duties or charges on the importation or exportation of the cargoes of the said vessels than shall be payable on the same articles when imported or exported in the vessels of the most favoured European nations. But it is expressly agreed, that the vessels of the United States shall not carry any articles from the said principal settlements to any port or place, except to some port or place in the United States of America, where the same shall be unladen.

It is also understood that the permission granted by this article is not intended to allow the vessels of the United States to carry on any part of the coasting trade of the said British territories;

but the vessels of the United States, having in the first instance proceeded to one of the said principal settlements of the British dominions in the East Indies, and then going with their original cargoes, or part thereof, from one of the said principal settlements to another, shall not be considered as carrying on the coasting trade.

The vessels of the United States may also touch for refreshment, but not for commerce, in the course of their voyage to or from the British territories in India, or to or from the dominions of the Emperor of China, at the Cape of Good Hope, the Island of St. Helena, or such other places as may be in the possession of Great Britain, in the African or Indian Seas; it being well understood that, in all that regards this article, the citizens of the United States shall be subject in all respects to the laws and regulations of the British Government from time to time established.

Art. 4. It shall be free for each of the two contracting parties, respectively, to appoint consuls for the protection of trade to reside in the dominions and territories of the other party; but, before any consul shall act as such, he shall, in the usual form, be approved and admitted by the Government to which he is sent; and it is hereby declared, that in case of illegal or improper conduct towards the laws or Government of the country to which he is sent, such consul may either be punished according to law, if the laws will reach the case, or be sent back; the offended Government assigning to the other the reasons for the same.

It is hereby declared, that either of the contracting parties may except from the residence of consuls such particular places as such party shall judge fit to be excepted.

Art. 5. This convention, when the same shall have been duly ratified by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of their Senate, and by His Britannic Majesty, and the respective ratifications mutually exchanged, shall be binding and obligatory on the United States and His Majesty for four years from the date of its signature; and the ratifications shall be exchanged in six months from this time, or sooner, if possible.

Done at London, this third day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifteen.

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS,

HENRY CLAY,

ALBERT GALLATIN,

FREDERICK JOHN ROBINSON,
HENRY GOULBURN,

WILLIAM ADAMS.

No. 17.-1818, October 20: Convention between United States and
His Britannic Majesty.

The United States of America and His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, desirous to cement the good understanding which happily subsists between them, have, for that purpose, named their respective plenipotentiaries, that is to say: the President of the United States, on his part, has appointed

Albert Gallatin, their Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of France; and Richard Rush, their Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of His Britannic Majesty; and His Majesty has appointed the Right Honourable Frederick John Robinson, treasurer of His Majesty's navy, and President of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade and Plantations; and Henry Goulburn, Esq., one of His Majesty's Under Secretaries of State: who, after having exchanged their respective full powers, found to be in due and proper form, have agreed to and concluded the following articles:

31

Art. 1. Whereas differences have arisen respecting the liberty, claimed by the United States for the inhabitants thereof, to take, dry, and cure fish on certain coasts, bays, harbours, and creeks of His Britannic Majesty's dominions in America, it is agreed between the high contracting parties that the inhabitants of the said United States shall have, for ever, in common with the subjects of His Britannic Majesty, the liberty to take fish of every kind on that part of the southern coast of Newfoundland which extends from Cape Ray to the Ramea Islands, on the western and northern coast of Newfoundland; from the said Cape Ray to the Quirpon Islands; on the shores of the Magdalen Islands; and also on the coasts, bays, harbours, and creeks, from Mount Joli, on the southern coast of Labrador, to and through the Straits of Belleisle, and thence northwardly, indefinitely, along the coast, without prejudice, however, to any of the exclusive rights of the Hudson's Bay Company: and that the American fishermen shall also have liberty, for ever, to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, harbours, and creeks of the southern part of the coast of Newfoundland, hereabove described, and of the coast of Labrador; but so soon as the same, or any portion thereof, shall be settled, it shall not be lawful for the said fishermen. to dry or cure fish at such portion so settled, without previous agreement for such purpose with the inhabitants, proprietors, or possessors of the ground. And the United States hereby renounce, for ever, any liberty heretofore enjoyed or claimed by the inhabitants thereof to take, dry, or cure fish on or within three marine miles of any of the coasts, bays, creeks, or harbours of His Britannic Majesty's dominions in America, not included within the above-mentioned limits: Provided, however, that the American fishermen shall be admitted to enter such bays or harbours for the purpose of shelter and of repairing damages therein, of purchasing wood, and of obtaining water, and for no other purpose whatever. But they shall be under such restrictions as may be necessary to prevent their taking, drying, or curing fish therein, or in any other manner whatever abusing the privileges hereby reserved to them.

Art. 2. It is agreed that a line drawn from the most northwestern point of the Lake of the Woods, along the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, or, if the said point shall not be in the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, then that a line drawn from the said point due north or south, as the case may be, until the said line shall intersect the said parallel of north latitude, and from the point of such intersection, due west, along and with the said parallel, shall be the line of demarcation between the territories of the United States and those of His Britannic Majesty, and that the said line shall form the northern boundary of the said territories of the United

States, and the southern boundary of the territories of His Britannic Majesty, from the Lake of the Woods to the Stony Mountains.

Art. 3. It is agreed that any country that may be claimed by either party on the northwest coast of America, westward of the Stony Mountains, shall, together with its harbours, bays, and creeks, and the navigation of all rivers within the same, be free and open, for the term of ten years from the date of the signature of the present convention, to the vessels, citizens, and subjects of the two Powers: it being well understood that this agreement is not to be construed to the prejudice of any claim which either of the two high contracting parties may have to any part of the said country, nor shall it be taken to affect the claims of any other Power or State to any part of the said country; the only object of the high contracting parties, in that respect, being to prevent disputes and differences amongst themselves.

Art. 4. All the provisions of the convention "to regulate the commerce between the territories of the United States and of His Britannic Majesty," concluded at London on the third day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, with the exception of the clause which limited its duration to four years, and excepting, also, so far as the same was affected by the declaration of His Majesty respecting the Island of St. Helena, are hereby extended and continued in force for the term of ten years from the date of the signature of the present convention, in the same manner as if all the provisions of the said convention were herein specially recited.

Art. 5. Whereas it was agreed, by the first article of the treaty of Ghent, that "all territory, places, and possessions whatsoever, taken by either party from the other during the war, or which may be taken after the signing of this treaty, excepting only the islands. hereinafter mentioned, shall be restored without delay, and without causing any destruction, or carrying away any of the artillery or other public property originally captured in the said forts or places, and which shall remain therein upon the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty, or any slaves or other private property:" and whereas, under the aforesaid article, the United States claim for their citizens, and as their private property, the restitution of, or full compensation for, all slaves who, at the date of the exchange of the ratifications of the said treaty, were in any territory, places, or possessions whatsoever, directed by the said treaty to be restored to the United States, but then still occupied by the British forces, whether such slaves were, at the date aforesaid, on shore, or on board any British vessel lying in waters within the territory or jurisdiction of the United States: and whereas differences have arisen whether, by the true intent and meaning of the aforesaid article of the treaty of Ghent, the United States are entitled to the restoration of, or full compensation for, all or any slaves, as above described, the high contracting parties hereby agree to refer the said differences to some friendly Sovereign or State, to be named for that purpose; and the high contracting parties further engage to consider the decision of such friendly Sovereign or State to be final and conclusive on all the matters referred.

Art. 6. This convention, when the same shall have been duly ratified by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of their Senate, and by His Britannic Majesty,